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Garage Find: 1972 AMC Gremlin

This 1972 AMC Gremlin wears awesome period colors and some upgraded Rally wheels on new tires. The seller notes it’s been in long-term garage storage and has some rust issues as a result, but overall is a decent driver for just $3,900 or best offer. This model features the rare pop-out windows and the 258 six-cylinder mill. Find it here on eBay in Connecticut. 

The chrome bumpers remain in nice shape, as does the rear hatch glass and taillight lenses. The paint is certainly tired, but it’s such a great color, who cares? The listing includes photos of when it was first removed and the 14″ tires and wheels are a much-needed upgrade over the stock rollers. The period roof rack is also a very cool (and must-keep) feature.

The interior is surprisingly decent for a long-stored car, with a clean and potentially uncracked dash, clear gauges, nice door panels and no major alterations from stock, aside from a more modern head unit. The mileage is listed as a hair over 53,000, and while not confirmed by the seller, the interior looks clean enough for that number to be correct.

The 258 ci inline-six is by no means exotic. It’s a workhorse, but a dependable one, although the seller has not attempted to start it. It’s an ideal engine for a car like the AMC, which is often thought of in the same fashion. The Gremlin has some minor rust repair needs, but not nearly as bad as the seller seemed to illustrate in his listing; take a look at the eBay photos and let us know if you think this Gremlin is worth saving.

Comments

  1. Avatar Ron

    Of course those cars were considered econoboxes back in the day but I remember a guy they used to call the worm who had one with a small block chevy in it and he was hard to beat !!

    Like 7
  2. Avatar Jimmy

    I just got home from the Liberty, Mo. Cruise on the square and there was a black Gremlin with a 304 and a 4 speed with nice Cragar wheels on B.F. Goodrich tires, it sounded pretty cool.

    Like 11
  3. Avatar John T.

    Revision made earlier today (Saturday, May 26) to indicate Buy It Now Price at $3,600. Does not seem like a bad deal but would definitely want to see it and drive it before bidding.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      It hasn’t been started. The oil filler cap and pcv valve are not present, who knows how long the internals have been exposed to the elements due to that. There is no fuel line running to the carb. It would be prudent to assume the drivetrain is beyond repair thus the car is a roller and make any offer accordingly.

      Steve R

      Like 7
  4. Avatar Steve

    Too much $

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Howard A Member

    Whether you like them or hate them, without question, one of the most influential cars of the 20th century. The cheapest car you could buy, even undercut the VW Beetle at the time. We shipped a lot of Gremlins out of Wisconsin. This one even has it’s original gas cap. They “went missing” quite often. Great find.
    A guy named Brian Ambrosini has great luck with his. The wheelstand king, Byron, Ill. Raceway. ( I’ve seen him flip this thing on it’s roof, this was one of his better runs).
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MKw1jK7Qtg

    Like 4
    • Avatar Jimmy

      Howard, I used to live about 20 miles from Byron and my kid still does. I’ve been to 3 or 4 Wheelstang Nationals there, Brian and the guy with the silver & maroon 80’s Buick seem to always end up in the top 3 money slots. I personally would love to have a Gremlin but with a V8 and 4 speed.

      Like 4
      • Avatar Howard A Member

        Yeah, it’s a fun time( except for that nuclear reactor looming in the distance) I saw that guy with the Buick really total his car once. Then there’s this guy, always puts on a show.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g831KzVuXOY

        Like 2
  6. Avatar ccrvtt

    I knew a guy who had the 304 & a 4-speed with the “iconic” hockey stick stripe. Bought it new, had it for 6 months & had to sell it ’cause his girlfriend got pregnant.

    It’s an age-old cautionary tale – hot cars lead to fast women. Or is it fast cars lead to hot women?

    What’s more ironic is that a Gremlin led to the whole situation.

    Like 9
  7. Avatar Superdessucke

    Jeez. Have these become the air-cooled 911 of the crapwagon set? Seems to be a lot with high prices compared to what you get, and what you would need to invest to make it road worthy.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Howard

    hmmmm, seller hasn’t attempted to start it? the battery box is empty so someone took the aged one out and set in one from their daily driver, removed the air cleaner and disconnected the fuel line in order to try to start it. When it wouldn’t go and they realized that it had no compression cause it was 153k miles? And who puts new wheels and tires on a non running car? Doesn’t pass the smell test IMHO

    Like 3
  9. Avatar Jim

    I like the 1972 Gremlin. But I did like one I had with the 304 motor. It did good burnout for sure.lol

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Jim

    I like this 1972 Gremlin. I had one with the 304 package. Boy did it do good burnouts. Lol

    Like 1
  11. Avatar dweezilaz

    That dash looks just as ill fitting and warped as the one in my parent’s show room fresh 71.

    Loved that car, but it was no paragon of assembly. Neither was the 72 Ambassador they bought a year later.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar lonnie93041

    A college student in town had a black one with a 401 from a Matador and a four speed out of I don’t remember what and the motor was built. That was one fast Gremlin!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar LITTLE RED CORVETTE

    oil cap right where it’s supposed to be

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Dewayne w Meade

    I am a big amc car freak looking for a gremlin or two door amc hornet I had two hornets when I was alot younger

    Like 0

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